During various steps in a packaging process, an object may be subject to various forces. Those steps include without limitation transport of an object during manufacture, shrink wrapping of an object, loading of shipping articles on pallets, application of shrink wrap or another protective coating to a pallet, unloading shipping articles from pallets, transport of a shipping article from a factory, and storage of shipping articles at a distribution site. Those steps may apply forces that act in any direction, including the same direction, or in opposite directions, and may cause various types of damage to an item, including but not limited to crushing, bending, dislodging the item from its intended packaging material, or any combination of the foregoing.
Shrink wrapping is one non-limiting example of a common packaging step used to protect numerous objects, including beverage containers, such as cans or bottles, for example. Application of a shrink wrap film protects the objects, allows a convenient surface for application of labels, may provide protection from water or environmental damage, and may protect the objects from becoming displaced during shipping. In a shrink wrap procedure, a polymer film may be warmed and stretched over one or more objects. As that polymer film cools, it contracts and therefore seals the objects over which it was placed. During that contraction, the film may pull the objects in any number of directions. In a well designed process, such forces are controlled and are maintained within acceptable levels such that those forces may not damage the packaged objects. If the process is not well controlled, the forces associated with a shrink wrap process may damage the shrink wrapped objects. The design of a shrink wrap process may be done in a manner that is largely based on trial and error, wherein variables associated with the shrink wrap process are modified randomly, or based on an operator's experience with the process and objects to be wrapped. Such an approach may be time consuming and may not result in a process that is robust or optimized. There is a need for an efficient method and apparatus for measuring forces in packaging processes, including but not limited to shrink wrapping, in order to optimize those packaging processes.